Are animals aware of their suffering? Believe it or not, many of us have wondered this at least once. It’s safe to say that anyone who’s ever had a pet or loved an animal is 100% sure of the answer to this question. However, what does neuroscience say about this? Does science actually ensure and support the fact that animals have a consciousness of their own and that they’re aware of what goes on inside of them?

Neuroscience has more than conclusive proof that all mammals, birds, and other species are aware of their own suffering. Animal consciousness is not a recent topic, by the way. In 2013, the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness put this issue on the table.

Researchers have identified homologous circuits in humans and animals whose activity coincides with conscious experience. It seems that the neural circuits that are activated while an animal feels an emotion are the same ones that activate in humans. Renowned neurologists from all over the world support this study and agree that animals are, in fact, aware of their own suffering.

“I am in favor of animal rights as well as of human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.”

-Abraham Lincoln-

The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness

On July 7th, 2012, a group of renowned scientists signed the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness. This document states that not only humans but also a significant number of animals, including vertebrates and invertebrates, are sentient beings. This means that they’re conscious of their experiences and that, in addition, they can have positive or negative mental states.

There is a scientific consensus on the evidence that demonstrates that animals possess neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states, along with an ability to exhibit intentional behaviors. In other words, humans aren’t the only ones to possess neural substrates that generate consciousness.

Philip Low, founder and CEO of the neurodiagnostic company NeuroVigil in California, Christof Koch of Seattle’s Allen Institute for Brain Science, David Edelman, of the La Jolla Neurosciences Institute, and other prestigious neuroscientists signed the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness.

Recent studies on the matter

Many studies continue to confirm these facts. In 2016, Jarrod Bailey and Shiranee Pereira presented an investigation about brain circuits related to emotions and empathy in dogs. This study confirms and extends the conclusions of the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness.

INRA, along with the European Food Safety Authority, also carried out a study on animal consciousness. They exposed the results to the public in 2017 in Parma, Italy. This piece of research corroborates that animals are equipped with nervous systems that support conscious processes of complex information, including negative emotions caused by nociceptive stimuli.

This study analyzed different species including primates, corvids, rodents, and ruminants. The researchers concluded that animals with autobiographical memory, such as primates, corvids, and rodents, may have desires and goals that extend to the past and future. As a consequence, they may be deeply affected by aversive experiences.

Animal consciousness is real

Those who mistreat animals defend their actions by saying that animals don’t feel anything. However, after seven years of more than solid evidence about animal consciousness and the multitude of subsequent studies supporting this statement, this is no longer an excuse to defend animal abuse.

All those people who treat animals as objects, mistreat them, and abuse them in different ways should seek other arguments to defend themselves because science doesn’t support them in the slightest. Moreover, the regulation of animal rights, animal protection, and animal welfare has had a huge legal impact. Basically, all the studies and evidence we mentioned here is being turned into laws.

It seems that, despite the complexity of studying human consciousness, from now on, it will be studied along with animal consciousness.

The feeling that everything is out of control, constant tension, nervousness, excessive worrying, agitation, insomnia, twitching eyelids, difficulty concentrating… All of these are signs that indicate anxiety, and they constitute a problem if they occur very frequently. But this isn’t an…

Neuroplasticity is at its greatest during childhood, as the brain is more flexible and it constantly receives new stimuli. During this time, a large number of new neurons are “born” that accelerate the learning and development of the child. As such, childhood is a sensitive…

The name of Eduard Punset is synonymous with optimism, curiosity, and an insatiable desire for knowledge. Few scientists have been able to transmit the desire to learn in such an amazing way. Few scientists have been able to immerse us…

Psychoanalysis is a fascinating field: its theories and hypotheses are just captivating. Although that’s true, some books on psychoanalysis, especially by certain authors, might be a bit complicated at the beginning for anyone who isn’t familiar with the territory. Most of…

Knowing how to say “No” in the workplace is an important social skill we call assertiveness. Assertive people have healthy self-esteem. They are self-assured and know how to set boundaries with others. In contrast, saying “Yes” to everyone could be…

If we bottle up our anger then sooner or later there will be an explosion of rage, and with it will come words that we’ll later regret. Managing anger is always the healthier, more logical and more practical option, rather than…

As much as you’d like to get along with your significant other 100% of the time, sooner or later there’ll be conflict in your relationship. It’s inevitable, not to mention healthy. Conflict is an opportunity for analysis and decision-making. Some…

Many experts define an emotion as a subjective state that has an overwhelming or intense affective load. While it’s difficult to explicitly describe emotions, everyone can describe these subjective states in a clear way. For example, you can describe a…

Meditation has become quite popular. As people learn about the benefits of daily meditation, they’re becoming more interested in incorporating meditation into their daily lives. Today, we’ll share some meditation techniques for beginners that’ll help get you started on your…

Sleep apnea in women is underdiagnosed. In fact, when people think of sleep apnea, they usually think of a middle-aged or elderly man snoring. This stereotypical image only tells a small part of the story. First of all, young people…

The content in this publication is presented for informative purposes only. In no sense is this information intended to provide diagnoses or act as a substitute for the work of a qualified professional. For this we recommend that you contact a reliable specialist.

The content in this publication is presented for informative purposes only. In no sense is this information intended to provide diagnoses or act as a substitute for the work of a qualified professional. For this we recommend that you contact a reliable specialist.